My Sister, My Friend
by ScoobyPee
Summary: Bella and her sisters - Rosalie, Alice, and Esme - move into a new house when their mother is on tour with her husband, Phil. They meet the mysterious Cullen boys and find themselves in for an adventure that will change their lives forever. AU/canon pairs


**DISCLAIMER: All recognizable characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. Any other copyrighted or trademarked items mentioned herein belong to their respective owners, all other content belongs to me. No copyright or infringement is intended. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.**

**CHAPTER 1**

_Bella_

"Are you guys unpacked?" Esme asked from the other room.

"Yes, Esme." I sighed, holding up my last empty box.

"I'm not," Alice pouted, and I turned to see her, carrying in another box.

"I can't decide if that's because of all of your junk, or because you haven't sat down and gotten to work yet." Esme retorted and Alice pouted.

"I hate packing and unpacking!"

"Lies! You just hate working!" Rosalie giggled, and I narrowed my eyes at both of them.

"It's not that hard, you guys. Just sit down and do it." I turned and looked at Esme. "I'm going to go to my room, and go through my school stuff."

"Okay. Let me know if you need something," she scratched her head as I walked away.

I turned and padded across the wooden floor that covered our entire penthouse. I didn't really pay attention to the huge windows, or the modern, white staircase that I walked up, or even the expensive furniture that cluttered the place. It was still a little bit too much for me to wrap my head around. This whole house was a lot more than any of us were used to.

The house we were living in didn't even technically belong to us. It belonged to my mother's husband, Phil. He played for a minor-league team that made lots of money. And in order for my mom to go on tour with him, she had to sign custody over to Esme, and let us move into the penthouse that Phil acquired with the team. I wasn't sure if I liked living somewhere so prestigious, without really owning it, but I didn't exactly have a choice.

It was nice, whether I wanted it or not. The entire left half of it was made of glass – windows. It was the top level of a building in Seattle, and the wall-sized windows looked over the city. I knew that it was a lot bigger than the house that we'd been cramped into in Seattle. Even being big, white, modern, and full of fresh furniture, the house lacked warmth. It wasn't a home for me.

Rosalie and Alice loved their room. I walked past the door to their room, and peeked inside to see how much unpacking they'd actually done. Their room was white, and spacious, and had two queen-sized beds in it. The headboards were up against the same wall, and the entire place was accented with pink. They insisted on sharing a room, being twins they'd always been closer, and so a room they got. It seemed to fit both of their personalities, and left them with enough space for them to be comfortable. I noted that there weren't very many personal objects out yet though. Proving that the pair still had a large amount of unpacking to do.

They had the most boxes too.

I shook my head as I walked down the hallway. My room was at the very end. It was as white as theirs, and probably the same size. I had a small, white, queen-sized bed square in the middle of the room. I had the highest ceiling, and the second balcony. That didn't include my own bathroom. I looked out my window-wall and looked over the city for a moment, wondering what I'd do with all the space.

Slowly, I made my way over to my bed. I sat myself onto the bed and looked around. The shelves held some of my books, and the single debate trophy I'd won at my school in Phoenix. I wasn't particularly good at it, but I needed the credit for college. Even after three years, I'd really only won one debate tournament.

I had never really been good with anything competitive.

My pictures were up. Lots of framed photos of my sisters and me were scattered in the room. So was some artwork that I'd liked, and wanted for myself. I had a bookshelf, full of my favorites, which mostly revolved around the classics. I loved to read things like Jane Austen and Shakespeare. Slowly, I reached down and picked up the purple fleece blanket that my dad had bought me for Christmas. I was suddenly wishing that things were like they used to be.

Once upon a time, my parents were married, we all lived in Phoenix, and I was comfortable in my home. I wasn't sure what it was, but I really never enjoyed the constant moving around. First when they split, and mom got sole custody. I never once enjoyed vacations, so the idea of visiting dad all the time wasn't my piece of cake. Then there was the part where mom remarried, and we lived in Florida for a while, and then we lived in Phoenix again. And then we switched between our house and Esme's, because mom needed to travel with Phil. Mom finally moved us back in with dad, but when that didn't work out, because he didn't have the money, we went back to Esme. Esme finally went to the court, and asked for custody of us, because she hated the inconsistency as well.

Eventually, they worked it out so that Esme was our main guardian, and our older sister. Mom was our second guardian, and had no permanent ties to us. She decided that she would travel with Phil, and they'd give up their vacation place in Seattle for the four of her daughters. It sounds like a selfless gift, but I knew that they never spent time there to begin with. They were too busy visiting fancy hotels and beaches to really go to the vacation penthouse in Seattle.

I knew it was hard on the others, as well as me. I almost felt like a burden, moving in on Esme the way I did. I knew that the last thing she wanted was to graduate and then adopt her younger sisters. We all loved each other, we just simply weren't close enough for the situation to be natural. It was a hard time for each of us, for our own reasons.

I heard a light rapping on my door, and looked up as Esme came walking in. Her face was soft, her brown eyes warm. I had gotten both dad's brown hair, and eyes. She'd somehow been lucky enough to get mom's lighter hair, and dad's eyes. She was very pretty, and mature looking with her heart-shaped face. I had one too, but I still hadn't gained the right curves for it to be pretty. I then noticed the box in her hands, and told her to come on in.

"I had some extra clothes that I'd been planning on giving you for a while," she murmured as she sat down on the bed beside me. "I don't really wear most of it. Some of it just got too small, or I simply don't care for anymore."

"Er, thanks Esme." I took the box, and sat it on the floor at my feet.

"Bella, can we talk?" She asked me, and I looked at her, suddenly curious about why she _really_ came into my room.

"I don't have a reason to say no." I pointed out and she chuckled again.

"I just wanted to make sure that you knew I want you here. I know all of this moving has been...well...suckish for you guys. I just needed to make sure that you understood that you're here because I asked you to be. Not because some court stuck you all with me." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she spoke.

"You can't be serious, Esme." I sighed. "There's no way that you wanted us all. I mean, you're young. Twenty-seven. You deserve to be starting your life right now – not raising a bunch of teens."

"It's different with you guys, even if _you_ did act like your age." She spoke, her eyes distant, looking towards the skyline out my window. "I love all of you, and I was around a lot more than you remember, when you were younger. I may have been a tween, or whatever, but I had a significant part in raising you. I all but raised mom!"

"I get what you mean there," I giggled at the thought of our mother's flightiness. She meant well, but sometimes she was as big of a handful as a bunch of five-year-olds.

"Besides, it doesn't look as if I'm going to be hopping into a marriage anytime soon. I may as well have some company while I figure things out." She grinned at me, her smile as stunning as usual, and I couldn't help but smile back. My smile was half stiff, not totally sure of everything, but half of it trusted my sister.

"Thanks, Esme. For everything you're doing for us. I may not say it a lot, but you are helping. Moving around _isn't_ fun." I thanked her, knowing that she deserved my gratitude. As much as I didn't enjoy Seattle, I didn't enjoy moving. If it were one or the other, I was happy that I was living with my sisters.

"I need to finish the kitchen. I'm ordering Chinese in a while, feel free to come down when you know what you want." She smiled at me and I thanked her, wrapping my body tighter in my comforter.

When my door closed behind her, I let out a sigh. I was too tired to go straight to helping her, so I found myself laying down under my covers and going to sleep. It was my first real sleep in a while, as the moving had thrown me off a bit. I was just happy to get my mind off of everything for a time more than ten minutes long.

When I opened my eyes, it was after six-thirty. I yawned, sat up, and stretched a bit. Once I was in a smaller daze, I stood and slipped on my house-shoes. They were warm, and comfortable on my feet. With a grin, I found myself going down the stairs. I got down there to find everyone sitting around the table, discussing what they wanted for dinner.

The table was made of a chocolate-brown wood. It was an oval shape, and held about six chairs. The chairs matched it, and the three of them were seated in the three around the end of the table. I walked over and sat down next to Alice, my eyes still wandering uselessly. I noted the white walls, and big windows. I did noticed that it was dark out too, and that I was slightly hungry. The entire room was modern, and very pretty. I admired the entire design in silence, before Esme finally asked me what I wanted to eat.

"Just get me noodles, or something." I told her softly. "I'm not that hungry."

"Sure...lo mein for Bella," she wrote it down on a legal pad and then turned to the others. "And you're sure about what you want?"

"Yes, Esme!" Rosalie giggled, and I smiled slightly.

As uncomfortable as I seemed to be with all of this, Alice and Rose were totally stoked. They'd always admired Esme, for reasons I never totally saw, and time-and-time again they found themselves following her lead. The news that they were going to be staying with her in a new, bigger house was just the icing on the cake for them. If anything, I was just happy to see them happy.

Esme left the room to go make the order, and I watched Rose and Alice converse. They were fraternal twins, and a year younger than I. They didn't look like each other, and they didn't really look like me. Rosalie had long, blonde hair, and blue eyes. She looked just like mom, only the heart-shape of her face was all dad. Her dimples were his too. It made her a lot prettier. Alice had gotten mom's slimmer face, but dad's brown hair. The brown hair fell just to her chin, and tended to go everywhere in wispies. She'd also gotten mom's eyes – the only thing that they did have in common. When they talked, they finished each others sentences. They were so much alike, yet so different, it was freaky sometimes.

Right now they were having a debate over whether they liked skinny straws, or wider ones. Alice liked the wide ones, Rosalie liked the skinny ones. Their points were all completely irrelevant, and useless, but it was still entertaining to watch. Who doesn't want to watch two seventeen-year-old girls bicker over silly things?

I was being sarcastic, don't worry.

"How about we all just agree that straws are handy," Esme came back in, eying the distress on my face.

"Yes! They totally are!" Alice cheered, and I rolled my eyes.

"So, ladies, how do you all feel about our new commode?" She asked them, completely changing the subject.

"I guess I like the house. I'm just worried about school." Alice suddenly blinked a couple times. I nodded at her.

Alice had Tourette's Syndrome. It wasn't that severe, not to the point that is completely impacted her life. It merely left a few nicks here and there. Not much could set a girl like her back, it seriously took a disability to do it. The kids at the school we went to in Phoenix didn't seem to understand that she couldn't control it. That the only thing that differed her from them was the fact that she had muscle spasms.

She could yell out at random, or punch empty air, but nothing could change Alice. She would always be my crazy, bratty, obnoxious, sweethearted, and forgiving sister Alice. Alice forgave and forgot like I read books. She found the sunshine in anybody.

Rosalie would beat the sunshine right out of them too.

Without Rosalie, I wasn't sure that Alice could have been as true to herself as she was. Between the jerks at school, and the inconsistent home-life, Alice could have easily gotten lost in her little head. Rosalie was truly here best friend. She had her back, and stuck to her sides, all the while leading her from ahead. I admired their closeness – that was something that I had with _nobody_.

Except maybe mom, but that's obviously down the drain.

Alice blinked her way through the move, and Rosalie held her hand. Esme took control, and I covered the caboose. Not something I wasn't used to doing, but also something I wasn't sure about. I had hoped that the move would be my opportunity to finally pull ahead a bit. Maybe come out of my shell, and do my own things.

Looks like that dream was going to take another number, and I would have to wait it out.

"What about you, Bella?" Rosalie asked me, and their eyes all tuned in on me.

"I like it. I don't hate it, really. It's just not home to me, yet."

"Fair game," she nodded in consent, and then went back to her conversation.

Dinner came, and we all ate together. As much as I wanted to pout my way through dinner, I didn't. I eventually got sucked right into the incessant conversation, and was comfortable with it by the end of the night. I couldn't remember the last time that I'd sat down with my sisters and ate with them. It had to have been at least a year.

It was nice.

After we were done, I rinsed my plate off, and placed it in the dishwasher. I found myself back in my room, and in my bed. Only now, it was pitch black, and pouring rain outside. After getting changed, and tucked in, I really began to settle in. My mind couldn't focus on anything but the pounding of the rain on the window. The darkness that was suffocating me. My mom was across the country. I was going to start at a new school in two days. It was so unnerving, I couldn't even consider sleeping.

I didn't realize that I'd been sobbing so loudly until my door cracked open. Esme was walking in, her hair disheveled and her eye groggy. At least, that's how it seemed from the dim light of the hallway. She closed the door, and padded her way over to my bed. After laying down next to me, she took my hands into hers, and began rubbing my back. I remembered that this used to coax me into sleep when I was little. I could never remember who did it, but it was very comforting. Sleep slowly came, but it came quick enough for me to not feel any guilt about keeping her up all night.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Esme asked as she drove me to school on my first day. I'd missed my ride with Alice and Rosalie, who took the two cars we'd inherited, because I had overslept.

"Talk about what?" I pretended to not already know what was on her mind.

"The fact that for the last three days, I've gotten up to you crying your eyes out. What exactly is making it so hard for you? I'd like to help. Not that I have a problem with helping you sleep, I just think it would be a more comfortable situation for you if you felt better. And if you weren't late for school everyday." She explained her eyes on the road, just like mine.

"Is it okay if we _don't_ talk about this right now? I don't know if I can do it before school...I'll...," I already felt my throat beginning to choke up. She sighed, and gave me a pointed look. I finally turned to meet her eyes. I wanted her to understand how I felt, but not to every extent.

"Tonight then? We'll say we're fixing something in your bathroom, and that we don't need the other girls." She offered and I scoffed at her.

"Seriously?"

"If that's what it takes to get you to talk." She sniggered.

"Right, well, I'll see you after school." I murmured as I stepped out of the car. We were outside of Forks High School, a small school just outside of Seattle. Esme enrolled us here because it was on the way to her work, and it was a smaller school. We all agreed that a smaller, more intimate setting was what we wanted before we moved.

"See you, good luck." She waved as I made my walk towards the front doors, just in time for the warning bell to ring.

I went to the office. It was small, warm, and there was a red-headed, chubby woman seated at the main desk. She was on the phone when I got in, but quickly hanged up as I approached her. She seemed to already know who I was as I made my way too her, getting up and rushing around. She had a stack of papers, and an agenda in her hand at top speed. I took them with little grace, and she began to explain the tardy system to me. Apparently, I had to somehow get to my classes near on-time and get a slip signed. I guess I missed the real welcome-wagon, and ambassadors that took Alice and Rose around earlier.

The smaller the attention, the better. I thanked her quietly, and didn't say much more before walking out the door and into the nearly empty halls. The final bell had rang when I was getting my things together. I knew it was going to be a longer day as I looked down at my map.

"You must be Isabella Swan," a girl with curly, brown hair asked as we made our way to the biology lab. "I'm Jessica Stanley. I already met Ali and Rosie. They're great!"

_Ali_ and _Rosie_? _Please_. I thought to myself as we got nearer to the right room.

"It's great to meet you, Jessica."

"Do you have a nickname too? I can make up one! WE can call you Izzy! How cute!" she laughed, and began telling me about how that was her favorite character on a soap opera about doctors. I suddenly understood just why she'd hit it off with Alice and Rosalie so well. They were all exactly alike.

"Please, Je-...," I suddenly couldn't remember her name. _Jennifer_? I shook the thought, moving on to my point before I could confuse her too much. "Just call me Bella. Nothing more, nothing less...okay?"

"Bella...not as spunky, but it will do! We're going to be great friends!" She walked into the biology lab, not bothering to hold the door out for me, and I found myself stumbling into the room.

"Mike, this is Bella!" She called out to a blond boy. The one with the blue eyes and the puppy-dog face that I'd noted earlier in the morning. I had the strong urge to avoid this boy. He came off as the kind of punk that Rosalie would get involved with.

She'd fall head over heels for him, he'd fall back, and then she'd change her mind once she realized how _wrong_ he was for her. It happened whenever she did date people. I never dated, so I didn't really have to worry about that problem. All I had to do was try to look out for the twins around here. The boys all seemed to be particularly clingy around here.

"Hi Mike," I shied away from him.

"Cool! This means we have lunch together," he laughed as the bell rang for lunch.

"Sure...I'm gonna' hit the lines early." I mumbled, and quickly got away from them. I had a strong feeling that I was going to be sitting with them that day anyway, but that didn't mean I wanted to hang out with them in the mean time.

The lunch room was noticeably smaller than the one back in Phoenix. The school there probably had twice the kids. I found myself in the kitchen part with ease. I got my food quickly, not really wasting time on deciding what I would eat. It never bothered me anyway. I wasn't a peculiarly picky person. Food was food, in my eyes. Just like a room full of high schoolers would be a room full of high schoolers.

After having my tray settled, I paid for everything and made my way to the table with the most recognizable people. I sat down next to the quiet girl with the darker hair and glasses. I'd ran into her a couple times, as she'd shown me my locker, and the room for Student Council. She was on it also, and that was an immediate clue that she and I were going to be friends.

"Bella," she smiled at me.

"Hi Angela." I nodded at her, happy that my brain had somehow spat out her name.

"We were just discussing going to La Push next weekend. Are you in, Bella?" Jessica asked me, and I couldn't help but feel curiosity about this La Push place.

"It's a beach." Angela said, her soft voice breaking my thoughts quickly. "Just up north a bit. You don't have to go, but it is a good time."

"I'll think about it." I told them and they all cheered with excitement. A little bit too much excitement for my amusement.

That's when I noticed _them_. There were two of them, both boys. One had blonde hair, and it fell in waves beside his face. His face sat in a constant look of...discomfort? Everything about him screamed distress. Well, save his nice, new clothing and tall posture. He was lanky, and his eyes were gold as topaz. They were both pale, now that I began to notice the second one.

This one, for one reason or another, seemed to really catch my attention. He wasn't quite as tall as his partner. Though his hair almost made up for it. I took note of the different colors of golds, browns, and coppers in his hair under the fluorescent lighting. It stuck up in tufts, each one perfect in it's disarray. He also had golden eyes, but his face was a tad bit more chiseled then the blond's. His body was less lanky, a bit more lean and toned. At least, that's what it seemed, from across the room and through a cashmere sweater.

"Who are they?" I whispered and Jessica laughed.

"They're the Cullen brothers. You may as well look away now, because you have no chance. Especially with Edward." She pointed out, her face complete with a dark seriousness. I was a bit annoyed with her sudden comfort in bossing me around. It made me want to run head-first towards this _Edward Cullen_.

"Which one's Edward?" I cleared my throat, and this time Mike answered.

"The one you were looking at – with the crazy hair." His face was grim, and he topped it off with an eye-roll. I wanted to roll my eyes.

I'd never really had an interest in guys, but something about Edward was drawing me in already. I couldn't decide if it was just how beautiful he was. Maybe it was the way that everyone in this silly town detested his company. All that I could tell was two things: I probably wouldn't be finding out why and that I really wanted to know anyway.

"Has anyone tried hanging out with him?" I asked curiously and Jessica let out a hysterical laugh. I eyed her nervously, but that didn't seem to calm her down.

"Obviously! I _am_ the welcome-wagon around here. The three of them just think they're better than the rest of us." She spoke, the sour tone in her voice menacing.

"Come on, Jess, you never actually got to know them." Angela spoke softly, clearly trying not to make it sound like she was conflicting with what Jessica had said. I suddenly felt like everyone at the table had been manipulated by Jessica. I got a bit of a skittish feeling, and had the urge to go sit with someone else.

I never appreciated the feeling that I was being tied down by someone.

"Wait," my mind reeled back a couple steps. "You said three...there's three of them?"

"The big one, with the brown hair and dimples. _That_ would be Emmett." Angela pointed out. I nodded slowly, curious about whether or not he looked like his brothers.

"They're all seniors, all adopted by Doctor Cullen. Who, may I add, looks just like them. I think there's something fishy going on in that household, not that anyone cares." Jessica muttered and I was annoyed with her blatant opinion on the family. She made it sound like Edward turned her down for a date, so she went around making up crap about all of them ever since. That was probably the reason why I hadn't gotten up and sat somewhere else by that point.

"Right, well, I don't think you should be one to judge so quickly." I murmured, but she wasn't listening by that point.

"No kidding," I heard Angela speak, just barely a whisper, from my left side.

I liked Angela. And I really liked the _Cullen_ boys.

When the bell rang, I didn't walk to class with Jessica. I made it a point to go to the bathroom, and then show up for class right when the bell rang. I didn't want her to talk the teacher into sticking us together as lab partners. Not only was it already October, which meant things were settled and that would be too much work. But I also couldn't stand the thought of spending the rest of the year doing science projects with Jessica Stanley.

So, when I walked in, I slipped the teacher the pass, and he directed me to the only seat in the room. I suddenly felt nervous about this, due to the fact that the only open seat was next to Edward Cullen himself. He didn't look up from his text book as I sat down next to him, and began getting my supplies out for class.

The first part of class was fairly quiet, as Mr. Varner began explaining our lab. We were going to be recognizing stages of Mitosis in an onion root tip. I'd done this lab before, so I was fairly prepared to get it done early. His speech and directions almost seemed easier than the way that we came about it in Phoenix.

After he finished talking, passed out the packets, and supplies, we got straight to work. He had everything set up, and the first questions answered as if he'd done it a million times before. I asked to help, and he let me, but I really wasn't all that much help. With my slowing him town, the project was complete in less than ten minutes.

"You didn't have to do all of that," I muttered as he returned from handing the packet in.

"I know," his voice was soft as he sat himself back on his stool – as far away from me as possible.

"I'm sorry if I forgot to introduce myself," he spoke suddenly, after a period of silence between us. "I'm Edward Cullen. You're Bella Swan, I presume."

"How'd you know my name?" I asked him, trying to remember if I'd said it in front of him.

"Oh, I think everyone here knows you, and your sisters', names." Half of his lips turned up, and his single dimple showed. I couldn't help but smile slightly back.

"I actually meant Bella...everyone here keeps calling me Isabella. Like, what's on my enrollment papers." I explained a little further, and watched as his expression went unmoved. After another awkward silence, he began speaking to me again.

"I, ah, must have heard it through the grapevine, then." He sounded a bit off then. "Word travels fast in a small town."

"Yeah, I can see that already."

"So, Isabella Swan, what brings you here?" He asked me and I sighed, my face growing warm at the thought of telling him anything about myself.

"I actually prefer Bella," I started.

"I'm sorry...Bella. You don't have to tell me, if it's personal."

"No, it's fine. My mom got remarried."

"So, what, you don't like the guy?" He asked me, another smile playing on his lips.

"No...Phil's great...my mom just needed to travel with him. He plays on a minor-league baseball team." I explained a little further, wondering how much I should have been telling him. He seemed trustworthy, but who was I to judge?

"Anyone I'd know?"

"Strictly minor," I sighed and looked up at his topaz eyes again. I felt my brain go into a short daze just after a second. Slowly, my lungs released a sigh and I began talking again. "She just wanted to travel with him, and moving us around between her, my dad, and my older sister was too much work. So, they signed half of custody over to Esme, my sister, and we all moved into the penthouse that Phil got with his job. He doesn't use it, so, we figured it would be for the best."

"You didn't ask your mom to stay? To let Phil go, and see him when he's in town?" Edward asked and I shook my head.

"My sisters and I agreed that it wouldn't be right."

"Such a selfless decision for such a young girl." His eyes narrowed, and I slowly turned to my spiral, looking over the blank page. I'd planned on taking notes that day, but it was too much review to need notes.

I'd somehow found myself no longer talking to him, but rather doodling on the margins of the paper. My hair, which I'd worn loose that day, fell into a curtain on that side of my face. I made sure to get a whiff of my arm that he couldn't see, finding that it smelled like my strawberry shampoo. He had no reason to be so distant, yet nosy. I had the sudden urge to ask him what his problem was, while at the same time I wanted to know everything about him.

It seemed as if I had a lot of thinking to do before I went ahead and made a decision about anything involving a Cullen.

The end of the day finally came, after biology and P.E. Class. Once the day was over, I met up with the girls in the parking-lot, and drove Rosalie's car. She and Alice took the Porsche together. I guess they didn't think through driving both the Porsche and the BMW this morning. I didn't really care though – I enjoyed the time to myself. I hadn't been getting much of it recently.

The drive from Forks to Seattle was probably forty-five minutes long. I didn't even play the radio as I drove. I relished the silence, finally having time to think, or not think, about anything and everything. I'd always enjoyed being a bit of a loner. It was hard for me to suddenly live with the three girls, who all wanted to have this close relationship with me.

I loved them, but I loved my sanity equally.

When I got to the apartment, the others had already gotten home. Even Esme. I hurried on up to our room, and went in to find them all on the couches, talking. I waived at them, but quickly went to my room to dispose of my things, and to change into something a bit more comfortable than what I'd worn to school.

Once I was in a pair of pajama pants, and an Old Navy tank-top, I made my way back to the living room. Rosalie was giggling over something. I sat down, ready to listen, out of complete curiosity.

"Rosalie met a boy!" Alice giggled and I raised my eyebrows.

"It wasn't Mike, was it?" I asked her, and he burst out laughing.

"I met him, but God no! Even I know when the guy's totally wrong!" Rosalie shook her head, her eyes alight with happiness. "Unless...you don't like Mike, do you?"

"No! No, he's really annoying. I was just making sure that you-...," I rambled, embarrassed that she thought I'd actually consider Mike Newton. _No thank you_!

"Anyway," she laughed, only having said that to make me flail for a minute. "His name was Emmett Cullen! And Alice met his adopted brother, Jasper Hale!"

"Are you serious?" I asked, and Esme nodded.

"And, by some coincidence, I'm working for Carlisle Cullen." Esme grinned, and I saw something more to her smile than sheer coincidence. She liked Carlisle Cullen. It seemed then as if we'd all been sucked into the idea of a Cullen boy in our lives.

"I...um, talked to Edward Cullen for a while." I spit the words out, not sure that I should have or not. I never usually told them a lot about myself. But I felt like this detail was important. That there was something more than a complete coincidence going on then. Not that I could have proved it, or figured something of it. The idea just left me thinking – a lot.

"That's so freaky!" Alice bounced up and down, clenching and releasing her fingers.

That's when the phone began ringing, Esme walked in and answered it, sounding excited when she told us it was mom. She sat it on the coffee table, and turned it up, and onto speaker. We all sat around it, just relieved to hear mom's voice after three days without her. It was Rosalie, Alice, and my first time away from her. Even though Rose and Alice were raised a lot more with Esme, I still had that bond with mom. I was thoroughly happy to hear her talking.

"I missed you, mom!" I called.

"You know I miss you too, babies!" She laughed, not really sounding as genuine as I felt. I ignored it though, curious about whether or not she was having a good time or not.

Listening to my mom talk, completely self-orientated, and happy over the line made me realize something that night. It made me realize that the separation was probably for the best. And though we weren't exactly the most functional group of women, I knew that we were better off together, and in Seattle.

That was the moment that I let go of my life in Phoenix, and accepted many months ahead in Washington.

**REVIEW IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE FROM THIS STORY.**


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